


Now it’s been a few years, It looks like things have changed

by ntshastark



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Get Together, M/M, No beta we die like mne, The X Factor Era, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2020-06-26 00:52:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ntshastark/pseuds/ntshastark
Summary: Louis wakes up from an afternoon nap and finds out he’s not in The X Factor anymore, his band became really famous and he’s dating his best friend. He tries not to freak out.





	Now it’s been a few years, It looks like things have changed

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I tried to make them sound british, but english is not my first language so please blame any mistakes on Microsoft Word. Also, I don’t usually write anything, but I’ve read like 3 time-traveling fics in a row and any of them satisfied me, so I started to make my own in my head and ended up writing it down. Also, I’m not a directioner and idek if they toured on the US in 2013, just really like Louis’ hair from that year.  
> Title from the song “Mandy” by the Jonas Brothers (◡‿◡✿)

He wakes up with a banging on the door.

“Guys, get up, we’re late!” It sounded like Liam’s voice, but a bit rougher, and Louis wondered if he was sick. That’d be really bad considering their presentation was supposed to happen tomorrow.

He sat on the bed, still half-asleep, and rubbed his face, feeling his stubble on hi-

Wait.

He didn’t have a stubble.

Confused, he looked around and realized that he wasn’t at their bedroom on Simon Cowell’s house, but on what appeared to be a really fancy hotel room.

The banging continued. “Louis! Harry! I’m serious, open the door!”

He got up to open the door and ask Liam what the hell was going on, but when reached out for the doorknob saw that his arm was full of tattoos.

“What?!” Shit, it had to be a prank from his bandmates. It just _had_ to be, he _hated_ tattoos. He has no idea of how they managed to move him to this place and draw those things on him while he was sleeping, but it was the only logical explanation.

“Louis?” Liam said trough the door “Louis, is that you there?”

“Liam, what the-“ He froze the minute he opened the door and saw his friend. He looked older. Taller. Beefier. His hair was shorter and almost shaved on the sides, the rest of it pulled on a quiff. And he could spot some tattoos on his arms as well. “What the hell…”

“God, finally! I was about to break down the door! Where’s Harry?”

“I-I, what, I mean, I’m… How the…?”

“Are you ok?” Liam arched an eyebrow “Anyway, we have a radio interview in less than I hour, in case you forgot, which I presume you did. So go get ready. And where’s Harry?”

He was unable to move any muscle. He was unable to _process_ what was happening. He fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon, in the same room he did every day since the Judge’s House phase of The X Factor started. And then he woke up on this too-expensive hotel with this stubble and those tattoos he never had and this oldest version of Liam knocking on the door and talking about interviews.

“Lou, s’everything ok?” He focused on the other boy (man?) again, who had worry and curiosity stamped on his face.

“What- What year is this?” He managed to say, trying to think of any possibility that could explain what was going on. Time travel was the first. Pot, the second.

“What? It’s 2013, what’s wrong with you today?”

2013\. _2013_! Fuck, that was 3 years! Three freaking years! This was a hell of a lot more than he was planning to nap.

Ok, calm down. Just breath and pretend everything is ok, if you say something he’s gonna think you’re nuts.

“I- You, did you, did you say interview?”

“Yeah, they wanted us to do one for that famous radio from here, the… Well, I don’t know, but we’re late, so hurry up. And where’s Harry?”

“From here? Where- Where is exactly _here_?”

“New York, obviously, did you hit your head or something? Wait, you’re not drunk, are you?”

“NEW YORK?!”

Liam’s face managed to get even more worried and he reached out to touch Louis forehead.

“You sure, you’re not sick? Where’s Harry?”

“I’m not sick and I have no idea where the bloody hell is Ha-“

“Talkin’ ‘bout me?”

And then Louis is pretty sure he’s actually under the effect of drugs, because there’s no way in hell a human being could be that pretty. The person in front of him is really, really tall, legs with the same height as a small building with _really_ tight jeans wrapped around them and, shit, he was wearing hells????? And looked good with them????? His waved curly hair was also on a quiff and his face looked a lot like Harry’s but it definitely wasn’t-

“Haz, I think Louis’ sick.”

“Are you?” Pretty Boy (apparently Harry but he still refused to believe) stepped closer and touched his forehead the same way Liam did before. “You’re not hot, is it your stomach? Did you eat anything today?”

“Well if he didn’t it’s pity because we’re leaving in, like, 10 minutes.”

“Right… Want me to make something so you can eat in the car?” He turned to Liam “Is there any way we can postpone the interview?”

“Don’t think so, mate.”

“I, I’m fine, just. Just a bit off, I think.”

“ _A bit?_ ” Liam laughed and looked at Harry “And where were you, by the way?”

“Breakfast. Lou seemed too tired earlier, so I let him sleep a bit more.”

“You’re gonna make a terrible parent yourself. Lou, go get dressed. Harry, go make a sandwich or something. I’m gonna talk to management and tell them Louis’ not feeling well.”

“’Kay. Get better.” Harry kissed Louis’ cheek and got out with Liam, leaving the poor boy still speechless on the door.

The thing is. He and Harry have always been touchy. Like, in his time, at least. Kisses on the cheek aren’t something unusual for them. But. This one, it just. It felt so… soft?

He didn’t allowed himself to think about it for more than 10 seconds, though. Liam said they only have 10 minutes, so he’d better hurry up.

***

He’d just put his shirt on when there was a knock on the door.

“Hey.” Harry said, grinning “Everybody’s already in the car, you ready?”

“Ah, yeah, almost. Can’t find my phone, though.”

“Oh, it’s with me, sorry. Here.” He handed Louis a weirdly modern-looking thing that he had no idea how he was going to use.

“Hm, thanks.” He took the mobile and turned it on, facing a photo of him and Harry on what looked like the Eiffel Tower. It asked for a password. “D’you… Like, do you know my password? ‘Cause, hm… I think I sorta forgot it…”

“Of course I do, it’s my birthday! How come you not remember?” He looked confused and slightly hurt and Louis didn’t want to make him sad, not even the tiniest bit.

“I obviously remember, Harold, was just joking.” He typed Harry’s bday and the screen turned into another photo of the two of them, this time with his family as well. Weird. “See?” The relief in Harry’s face was almost painful.

“Good. Now let’s go, everyone’s waiting for us.” He followed Harry to the end of the corridor and they took an elevator to a hall as big and fancy as the room in which he woke up and also really, really loud.

“What th-“ His chin dropped when he saw what seemed to be a thousand of teenage girls screaming on the other side of the glass walls. Shit, it’s not like he’d never seen a crowd before, like, he’d went to shows and stuff but this, this was for _them_ (if the “I heart 1D” signs said something). There were even a few girls with his name or photos on their shirts, and it was just…

“Lou, c’mon!” Harry called, half way to the back entrance, so he followed him. There was a big black car waiting for them and all the other three lads were in it.

Niall hadn’t change a thing, honestly. He looked a bit older, obviously, but had the same baby face, blonde hair (a bit shorter, though) and soft blue eyes from 2010. Only, when he smiled Louis could see that he’d fixed his teeth.

Zayn, although, was a lot different. He was covered in tattoos, his quiff was even bigger than Harry’s and his stubble was bigger than the one Louis’d seen in his own face a couple minutes before. Definitely the second hottest person in the car (the first was obviously Harry). Also, were those earrings?

They greeted each other and Louis sat on the free spot right next to Harry, who immediately wrapped his arm around his waist. And, again, it was weird. Not that 2010!him and 2010!Harry didn’t do this all the time, but it just felt… different? It was still soft, but at the same time tighter, with a hint of what seemed like possessiveness.

The car passed in front of the hotel and the screams started again. There were fans knocking on the window, crying, almost throwing themselves in front of the van. It was like they were the bloody Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber or whoever were on the top now (he’d take a risk and say themselves but it’d be to unbelievable to even think).

“Here.” Harry handled him something wrapped in foil, turning his attention off from the screaming girls. “Eat fast, though, the radio station is pretty close.”

“Thanks” He smiled.

Turned out Harry was right and he almost couldn’t finish his sandwich in time. Immediately after the car door opened, he felt Harry’s hand leave his waist and stepped out, waiting for him to reach out again, but it never happened.

Already on the room they were going to be interviewed, Harry was the first to sit in one of the five free chairs and Louis automatically went for the closest one, making the other boy’s eyes go wider and his voice lower to a whisper. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean, I-? Am I not supposed to-?”

“Lou, please, don’t make it harder than it already is…” His eyes seemed sad, pleading, and Louis didn’t remember ever feeling that heartbroken in his whole life.

“I- Ok, fine, just. ‘Kay.” Harry smiled sadly and Louis sat on the most distant chair and the interview soon began. They introduced themselves and the host started asking individual questions, but Louis’ mind was still focused on Harry’s reaction. What has been that? It didn’t make any sense, at the hotel Harry was as close to him as he’s ever been and all of sudden he doesn’t even want them to sit close?

His thoughts went back to the moment when the car door opened and Harry broke the touch as if Louis was catching fire. So it wasn’t ok for them to be mates in public or something? Was Harry – he gulped – ashamed of him?

And the worst part was that he couldn’t ask what he’d done so he could apologize (or call Harry out for being a prick). Because he talked like it was something they’d already discussed plenty of times, so everyone’d notice something was weird.

“Louis?” a voice brought him back.

“Hm? Sorry?”

“They made you a question.” Liam said and turned to the interviewer “Sorry, he’s not feeling well today, we’re trying to save it for the show tomorrow.”

Fuck. A show! How was he going to do that?! He didn’t know any of the songs, or choreography, or whatever they do on their gigs now. Not to mention the fact that, if he was dizzy by that amount of girls on the hotel, a real crowd, cheering their names, would probably make him puke all over the stage.

So he concentrated on the interview, trying to know as much as he could about the apparently really successful band he was on, and it only made him fell more nervous. They were _huge_. Like, _proper_ huge. Not England huge. World huge.

And the more the interviewer mentioned their sells, public and success, the sicker Louis felt. By the end of the interview – in which he even managed to say things like “Yeah, I’m very anxious” and agree when one of the boys talked about him – he was pretty close to a panic attack.

***

Back on the car, still speechless and with Harry’s arm around his shoulders – and his tongue itching to comment something about it – he decided to look through his phone photo album and see what he has done this past three years, despite becoming a pop star and making his best mate ashamed of him for some reason.

“Lou! Hey!” Niall called him “God, what’s with you today? We’re gonna step on McDonald’s, want something?”

He should, considering that, literally, he’d only ate a sandwich since 2010, but he was so nervous that his stomach kept making loops and there was no way in hell he could eat something now.

“No, thanks” He focused back on the screen.

A photo of his mum and his sisters _(God, they looked so big and so beautiful)_ , his sisters and him doing some kind of video chat, the whole band on a stage with a massive crowd on the background _(he was really going to get sick on the car)_ , the five of them on what looked like a backstage, a impressively realistic drawing of them, some funny photos, Niall and Harry on a pool _(the arseholes took his phone, what if it had fell on the water?!)_ , a sunset, a lot of couple tattoos _(was he in a relationship??)_ , the view of a hotel window, more funny photos, his feet _(he was pretty sure)_ and someone else’s tangled on a bed _(weirdly, it was a guy’s feet. He frowned a little to it, but assumed it was probably him and one of the lads making a joke)_ , him and Harry on a bed with messy hair, wide smile and apparently shirtless _(frowned a little more)_ , him and H- _Oh._

Well, that was- Wow.

It explained a lot, though. The one-bed hotel room they were apparently sharing. The more intensive touches. His birthday being Louis’ password. Him being in both Louis’ phone backgrounds. Him avoiding being close to Louis in public. The feet photo. The matching tattoos stuff. The freaking boat/compass thing that he’d noticed and asked himself if were a coincidence.

He looked down again to the photo. The same bed, the same messy-haired, shirtless boys, the same grins. Only, now being crashed by each other’s lips.

Him and Harry were together.

As lovers.

And they were in the closet.

(Also, he was probably gay, but it was not the time to freak out over it, first things first)

He tried to ignore the Greek God talking about french-fries on his side and though about _his_ Harry, back in 2010. Allowed himself to think about all the shivers he felt under the warm tough of the other boy. How he liked to run his hand trough his curls and watch Harry’s eyes close and his grin widener. How shiny his green eyes were and how he loses himself looking into them. How they like to cuddle under the blanket and get touchy with each other any place, any time. How fast their connection was. And that weird warm feeling he always felt doing or thinking about those things.

He thinks about Harry a lot, honestly. Almost all the time they aren’t together and even a big part of when they are. He never had a best friend like that, not even Hannah, who ended up becoming his girlfriend (and to who he had asked for “a time” so he could “focus on the competition”, but they both knew this wasn’t the reason).

And his mind even flew back to that night on Harry’s stepfather’s bungalow, when all the other boys were sleeping and they were on the kitchen eating the rest of a cake. They were laughing and talking and everything was going well until he noticed that Harry’s mouth was dirty with chocolate and reached out to clean it.

But when he touched it, a shiver ran through his arm and he froze, sight alternating between the heart-shaped mouth his fingertips were touching and the deep green eyes staring right into his blue ones.

After what could’ve been seconds or hours, he managed to let a stuttered “There’s chocolate” out and the other boy cleared his trough and looked at the ground murmuring “Right” and cleaning his mouth with his hand.

Louis said something about being sleepy and went back to the living room where the other three boys were snoring on their sleeping bags. It was a lie, though, and he was awake until a lot later than Harry got back as well, knowing trough his breath that there was more than one person on that room who couldn’t sleep, but with no courage to start a conversation after what happened – whatever the hell it was.

On the next day everything was normal and they never mentioned it or, at least on Louis’ case, even though about it.

But right now, either three years or some weeks after it, he had a picture on his hand that was most likely taken after sex. He had a boy on his side that held him like he was his whole world. He had friends on this car that didn’t care the tiniest little bit that two of his best mates were dating. He had a photo on his phone background that showed that his mum and sisters didn’t either. He had the life he always dreamed of and this one bloke was living it with him, being a enormous part of it, even.

So when Harry poked him to tell they had arrived at the hotel, he kissed him.

And the way Harry reacted, without any minimal sight of surprise or hesitation, grinning against his mouth, was everything he needed to be sure.

“Hey, you two pricks, stop making out in the car and come here!” They broke the kiss laughing and looked into each other’s eyes.

“Feelin’ better?”

“A lot.”

***

“You should get some sleep, babe, there’s another interview later and you still look a bit off…”

“M’fine, I promise.” He smiled, following Harry into their room. “But gonna take your suggestion, though. Cuddle?”

“Sure. But I’ve got something I wanna give t’you first.”

“First a sandwich and now a gift! Gonna have off days more often, definitely.” He said already changing to his sweatpants.

Harry laughed and handed Louis a tiny black box. He opened it and found a small silver anchor pendant shining in the middle.

“Haz… Wow, it’s so pretty.” Louis sat on the bed, looking marvelled to the tiny jewellery.

“Liked it? Was gonna give you yesterday, but with the show there weren’t time. It’s ‘cuz of the anchor tattoo we were talking ‘bout me gettin’ to match with your rope one.” The other boy said, stripping to his boxes and laying on the other side of the bed.

“I loved it.” He smiled while Harry pushed him closer and wrapped his arms around him, being the biggest spoon (which he wasn’t used to, but decided he liked). His eyes were already closing, exhausted from this insane day, and he decided to resolve the time-travel thing when he woke up.

“Love you.” Harry said and Louis was already falling asleep with the anchor still on his hand.

“Love you too.”

It was true.

***

He wakes up with someone calling his name.

“Lou. Lou, get up, I need to talk t’you.”

He opens his eyes and see Harry facing him. But not the Harry that he’d fell asleep being spooned from. His Harry. With the messy curls, the smaller-than-him size and that stupid dimpled smile. But not now, though. His expression was serious and he looked worried and even a bit afraid.

“Haz? Is everything ok? Wow, I- I just had the weirdest dream…” Was it?

“I need to talk to you.”

“Hm, right, I…” He sat down, rubbing his face, and tapped the bed indicating Harry to sit next to him. “What’s the matter?”

“Hm, well, I…” He sat “Like, I sorta talked to Zayn and, I mean, I’ve been talking to Niall mostly, but, y’know, I love Niall and all but he’s just not, like, he doesn’t know…”

“Hey, slow down.” He laughed “Wow, never thought I was gonna have to say that t’you.”

Harry smiled and Luis put his arms around the boy’s neck, bringing him closer.

“Whass’ goin’ on?”

“Well, like. I, hm, I was talking to Zayn, I said it, and, I mean, I’ve been wanting to talk ‘bout it with you for some time, but y’know, it’s…”

“Haz?” Louis lifted Harry’s face with his fingertips so he could look at in his eyes. “Y’know you can tell me everything, right? Now, what’s happening?”

“I like you.” He spat out, slightly blushing. “I mean, _really_ like you. And, hm, if you wanna pretend I never said that t’sokay, ‘cuz then Zayn’d owe me 5 bucks, so, I mean, I told him about that night in the bungalow and I don’t know if there was, like, anything to talk, really, but he said that I should tell you and Niall’ve been telling me the same thing since that day after that, ‘cuz I told him, and, shit, please don’t get mad at me ‘cuz I told them, I swear it simply slept out and I-“

His voice was cut off by Louis’ mouth.

Unlike 2013!Harry (or Dream!Harry?), he did hesitate a little, completely surprised. But then gave in to the kiss and closed his eyes, placing his hand behind Louis’ neck and pulling him closer.

It didn’t take much for them to go for proper snogging, their tongs exploring each other’s mouths, Harry’s hands on Louis’ hair, Louis’ hands on Harry’s hips, moving him to his lap and then reaching out to support his weight on the bed so he could move backwards…

But then something pierced his hand and he had to untangle his and Harry’s mouths to see what it was.

A small silver anchor pendant.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr


End file.
